Oh mom! Glasgow contestant says late karaoke queen mum is her inspiration

Oh mom! Scot Stevie Doc felt her late mum was with her throughout her time on the ABBA reality show.

The 22-year-old made her debut last night on the program, which is looking for female and male actors to play the characters Sophie and Skye in London’s West End adaptation of the film.

The Glaswegian said her love of musical theater and singing stems from her mum Gail, who died when Stevie was 13, and even her own name reminds her of her mum.

Stevie said: “My name is Neva, which went to Nevi, then Stevie. It was my mother who named me Stevie. When someone says this, the first thing I think of is my mother. This keeps her with me.”

Stevie, who has a tattoo above her elbow in memory of Gail, said her whole family was proud to have her on the show and that her mum, who was a big karaoke fan, would have been delighted.

She said: “I wouldn’t be doing musical theater if it weren’t for her.

“She was always singing, and although she was not a (professional) performer, she was a performer in the house.”

Stevie, who is supported throughout by boyfriend Harry Tallingly, said: “I always thought my mum was very confident – like me, loud and Scottish – but she could be quite shy when she didn’t know people.

“She applied to be on MasterChef when I was younger but didn’t do it because she was afraid of appearing on television.

“She had talent and she was, in my opinion, a very, very confident person, but I think being on television would have been overwhelming for her. For me? Not so much.”

The Scot is one of seven performers hoping to land the role of Sophie in ITV’s Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream, hosted by Zoe Ball. She said some of her earliest memories were singing and dancing at home with her mother and older sister Carys, 24.

The family did not travel to London for big musical theater performances. Instead, their music came from karaoke.

Stevie laughed: “We had karaoke every weekend when I was younger. They will begin on Saturday and continue on Sunday evening.

“I was angry because I wanted to go and sing with my parents and their friends, but they made me go to bed because I had school on Monday morning. I hated it.”

There was always music – thanks to Gail.

Stevie said: “She sang everywhere. She sang in the car or while working around the house. There was always loud music and my mom would sing along. You weren’t allowed to get in the car unless you sang with her.

“My mom sang car karaoke before it was a thing.”

Although the family loved karaoke, none of them performed. But when Stevie was a teenager, friends persuaded her to audition for the school musical We Will Rock You, and she was surprised when she was given the lead role of Scaramouche. This led to her auditioning for a musical theater course at the Scottish School of Dance.

She didn’t make it, but auditioned again the following year and was successful.

Two years after that, she enrolled at London’s ArtsEd drama school and completed the three-year course earlier this year.

It was only by chance that Stevie auditioned for Mamma Mia! I have a dream. After seeing an advertisement for the show on Facebook, she decided not to apply. But when someone else from her ArtsEd class auditioned for the role, she finally decided to go for it.

She said, “Sometimes I come across things and I am a big believer in “What is for you will not pass you by.” A lot of the things that happened to me in my musical theater journey were accidental.”

In the series, seven contenders compete for the role of Sophie, played in Mamma Mia! Amanda Seyfried.

Meanwhile, seven men are vying for the role of Sky, played by Dominic Cooper in the film, including Perthshire actor Craig. Stevie was thrilled that one of the boys was Craig. She said: “The second you meet someone Scottish you instantly form a connection and become friends. I’d be happy if we both won. It’s nice that we can show Britain that Scots can have talent.”

She said the 14 applicants became like family and she became a lifelong friend in another girl.

She said: “I live with Maddie (Erzan-Essien) now. She became one of my best friends.”

No one left the show last night, but next Sunday’s second episode will be all about Sophie, with the girls taking center stage and one leaving.

Stevie described presenter Zoe as a “mum” who helped everyone cope with their nerves. She also praised the panel of judges – Alan Carr, singer Jessie Ware and West End stars Amber Riley from Glee and Samantha Barks, who appeared in the 2008 film I’d Do Anything.

Stevie said: “Samantha was in our shoes. We all want to win, but she’s a good reminder of what can happen if we don’t.”

● Mama Mia! “I Have a Dream” will air on STV next Sunday at 18:15.